Turley, Wilfred

Date of birth:: April 4th, 1915 (Thornaby, United Kingdom)
Date of death:: December 15th, 1941 (Waddenzee, The Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Graves Municipal Cemetery Usquert
Plot: 2. Row: 18. Grave: 2.
Service number:: R/77339
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Wilfred was born on April 4 1915 in Thornaby England, the son of Bernard Turley and Jane Turley nee O’Connell (both English) of Montreal. They were married on November 20 1897 in Thornaby. His brothers were John Bernard, James Valentine, Frank, Edward and Leonard Turley.

He was an inspector insurance and member of the Church of England and he spoke English and French fluently. His sports were tennis, skiing, hockey and swimming.

He enlisted on November 7 1940 in Montreal and he went thereafter on September 18 1941 from Canada overseas to the UK.

His aircraft a Hudson III AM731 took off at 4.05 PM from the RAF base "North Coates" in England.

The target was to attack some E- boats (Schnellbote or S-Boot) somewhere in the neighbourhood of the island of Terschelling. Because this mission had to be done by a complete radio silence it is not quite clear what happened afterwards.

Wilfred was killed in action on Monday December 15 1941 age 26 when his aircraft crashed then in the Waddenzee, eastern of the island of Vlieland, Holland. The other fallen RCAF crew member P/O Leonard W. Almquist, age 25 was missed then and he is therefore memtioned at the Runnymede Memorial in England on panel 59 as well as the missed RCAF crew member P/O James A. Bitcon age 22 also on panel 59. The other fallen RCAF crew member P/O Percy G. Ford age 26 was buried then at Vlieland in grave 38.

He served with the 407 Sqdn Royal Canadian Air Force.

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